Colombo: Sri Lankan cricket selectors have included veteran left-hander Hashan Tillekeratne in the 15-man squad for the World Cup.

Tillekeratne, 36, has played only two one-day Internationals since the 1999 World Cup in England.

After Sri Lanka’s disastrous performance in 1999, Tillekeratne and senior mates Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva were seen as being over the hill according to the new blood policy of the then selectors.

Although Ranatunga, who led Sri Lanka to the 1996 World Cup win, never figured in a one-day International thereafter, Tillekeratne and De Silva were subsequently recalled.

Tillekeratne has been added as the additional wicketkeeper as the selectors have resisted the pressure to induct Romesh Kaluwitharana.

The squad has nine specialist batsmen, the solitary spinner being Muttiah Muralidharan — who needs three more wickets to reach the double of 300 ODI wickets and 400 Test wickets, a feat only achieved by Wasim Akram.